Along with the growth of e-commerce have emerged innovative methods of conducting and billing e-commerce transactions. One of the most widely used media for conducting e-commerce transactions is the Internet. E-commerce offers virtually limitless options as to the types of accessible consumer goods and services.
Videotext is one example of a service that may be accessed over the Internet. Videotext is an information service which provides for delivery of video and audio content to a user's computer or television screen. Videotext may include video in the form of still and/or moving pictures, viewable text, as well as audio. Other goods and services might include magazines, clothing, shoes, music, downloadable software programs, adult entertainment services and access to online publications such as newspapers and magazines.
Numerous business opportunities exist in e-commerce as do opportunities for consumer convenience and satisfaction. Often, the conduct of e-commerce transactions should be tailored to assuage consumer concerns regarding issues such as security, privacy and accessibility. The root of many such consumer concerns has been credit card usage in e-commerce transactions. Some users are concerned about the risk of identity theft as a result of online credit card usage, wherein sensitive personal information must be divulged in order to consummate a transaction. In other cases, the consumer concern is accessibility in that the users might not have access to a credit card. Accordingly, it is often desirable to conduct e-commerce transactions without a credit card.
E-commerce transactions are often not limited by geographical region. A single merchant in one country may have a customer base that spans several countries. Therefore, it is often useful for such merchants to consider habits of potential foreign consumers. In some European countries, credit card transactions constitute a small percentage of online transactions. Because a merchant may wish to broaden a customer base, the consummate a transaction with citizens of countries such as Europe. Availing the customer of the opportunity to conduct a transaction without a credit card increases business opportunities in foreign countries.
E-commerce transactions that are consummated without a credit card have created additional billing challenges for electronic retailers. Some e-commerce retailers have addressed these billing challenges with creative billing solutions, such as billing a line subscriber for transactions consummated on an e-commerce network, where the network was accessed by telephone.
In one example of an existing billing system for which a credit card is not required, the user can obtain information on how to access a private e-commerce network by browsing the Internet and following steps provided on a web page. Following the steps listed on the web page, the user dials a telephone number from the user's computer modem. The dialed number may be a toll or toll-free telephone number. The call is forwarded from the user's terminal to a remote terminal that is operated and administrated by a network service provider. This network service provider is capable of providing access to the e-commerce network that the user wishes to access. Prior to reaching the remote terminal, the call may be routed through various local and/or long distance telecommunications carriers.
As soon as a connection is established between the user terminal and remote terminal, the remote terminal begins to attempt to identify the origin of the telephone call using call source identification information. An example of such information that might be used is the automatic number identification (ANI) service provided by local telecommunications carriers. A database containing ANI information may be at a location that is electronically accessible by the remote terminal that is administrated by the network service provider. This ANI service may be used to inform a telephone call recipient of the originating telephone number for the call. The ANI also includes the name and address of the line subscriber associated with the telephone number.
Once the call source has been identified, the user is then asked to verify his/her age. This age verification step may be performed when the user simply responds affirmatively to a query as to whether he/she is over the age of eighteen. The user is granted access to the network. The user's usage is tracked by the network, and an invoice is prepared according to network usage. The invoice is sent to the line subscriber to the telephone line identified through the ANI.
This system has inherent drawbacks with respect to billing. This system provides no measures for additional verification of the user's identity. The line subscriber may not, in fact, be the network user that incurs network charges. The user could be any person, authorized or unauthorized, using the line subscriber's phone to place calls to the network. Moreover, it is possible that the network user might not even live at the address from which the call originated. In this case, the line subscriber is sent a bill for services accessed by one who does not live in the household. The network service provider might, in this case, incur additional administrative costs in attempting to locate the appropriate invoice recipient. In some cases, the actual user may never be identified or found. Accordingly, not only does the network service provider incur administrative costs while attempting to identify and locate the appropriate invoice recipient, but the expected revenue from the actual user's network usage may never be recovered.
In these systems, additional billing challenges may result when the call source identification (ANI) information is not up-to-date. Under these circumstances, the invoice might issue in the name and address of a previous line subscriber to the telephone number. As noted above, improper invoicing results in increased administrative costs and sometimes, loss of revenue, for the network service provider.
In addition to the shortcomings in billing procedures, the age verification process used in these systems has inherent drawbacks. No further age verification steps are taken beyond the user's affirmative response when asked if the user is over the age of eighteen. Underage users may present additional challenges. For example, in some countries, a debt may be difficult to enforce against a person under the age of eighteen. Accordingly, the network service provider is likely to lose revenue for network access provided to the minor. Moreover, some networks provide content unsuitable for children. Therefore, even a very young child might have access to content that is strictly intended for adult viewing.
Moreover, because network access is provided without a credit card, the network service provider is essentially extending credit to each of its users. Some systems have addressed this issue by establishing a standard limit for network usage accrued by any user over a predetermined period of time. Treating all users similarly despite past credit performance might not be the most beneficial route. If a network service provider is to provide access to users without a credit card, it is desirable for the network service provider to have some assurance as to a particular level of credit it should extend to a particular user.
As illustrated above, the Internet has been a popular medium for e-commerce. Therefore, various e-commerce transactional and billing techniques have been created based on Internet usage. However, various other media have become increasingly popular for conducting electronic transactions. A notable example of another medium is mobile telephone commerce (m-commerce). Because many potential consumers use mobile telephones, a larger customer base could be reached by making an e-commerce network accessible via mobile telephone.
There is a need for a billing system that incorporates additional protective measures for verifying the proper entity or person to be billed, especially when charges are assessed without a credit card.
There is further a need for user age verification on a network so that minors do not have access to adult content, and so that the network service provider has a better chance of enforcing a debt against a network user.
There is yet further a need for user credit eligibility determination so that a user may be extended credit for network usage commensurate with the user's credit rating.
There is yet further a need for an e-commerce solution that provides access via media other than the Internet, especially via wireless devices.